Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said recent signs of economic health would allow the central bank to take its time in deciding how quickly to continue reducing interest rates, including by potentially slowing down the pace of cuts.

While speaking in Dallas on Thursday, Powell said economic growth will allow the Fed to tread carefully before making any rate cuts.

A strong economy is giving Federal Reserve officials room to move “carefully” as they lower interest rates, the central bank chair said.

Indexes slipped as traders zeroed in on remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who said the central bank is in no hurry to cut rates amid a strong economy.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the recent performance of the US economy has been “remarkably good,” giving central bankers room to lower interest rates at a careful pace.

Monetary policy could face crosswinds next year if President-elect Donald Trump fulfills his campaign promises to cut taxes, restrain immigration and deploy tariffs. Policy uncertainty may also be contributing to the Fed’s more inertial attitude toward lowering rates right now.

Ongoing economic growth, a solid job market, and inflation that remains above the 2% target means the U.S. central bank does not need to rush to lower interest rates and can deliberate carefully, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Thursday.

Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the Federal Reserve will likely cut its key interest rate slowly and deliberately in the coming months, in part because inflation has shown signs of persistence and the Fed's officials want to see where it heads next.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the economy is in a good place, with inflation on a sustainable path back to the central bank’s 2% target, and that he expects inflation to continue to come down on a “sometimes bumpy” path.